1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating correction approximate straight-line group information for multi-segment reading CCD, and a method and an apparatus for manufacturing correction processing equipment for multi-segment reading CCD.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, CCDs used for cameras and video cameras have been provided with a large number of pixels, so that it is necessary to read the large number of pixels within a specified time. Therefore, as a high-speed reading method for a large number of pixels of CCD, a multi-segment reading method, in which all pixels of a CCD are segmented into a plurality of areas, and pixels in the segmented areas are concurrently read, has been used. In this method, a receiving unit of CCD is segmented into a plurality of blocks, and a horizontal transferring unit is also segmented, and transfers charge corresponding to each pixel. However, in this CCD, which is segmented into a plurality of blocks and outputs charge, signal paths between the blocks are different, so that the difference of output values for pixel occurs between the blocks when the segmented blocks are reconstructed into one screen. This difference mainly occurs due to the difference of physical properties between circuits. The difference is a value unique to each CCD. In addition, the difference between the segmented blocks is proportionate to the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit. Therefore, in the method disclosed in the cited document (Jpn. unexamined patent publication No. 2002-320142), by correcting gain in an amplification unit, which amplifies the output values for pixel of each block, the difference of output values for pixel occurring between blocks is corrected.
However, in the above method disclosed in the cited document (Jpn. unexamined patent publication No. 2002-320142), by means of one correction approximate straight-line group information, which is common to all pixels, the difference of output values for pixel occurring between blocks is corrected according to an amount of received light of each pixels. Therefore, in the case of using a CCD of high quality or an analog circuit of high quality, in which problems in hue etc. are hardly observed, the above method is efficient enough, but in the case of using a CCD of lower quality or an analog circuit of lower quality, in which problems in hue etc. are observed, the above method is not efficient enough to cope with the problems in hue etc. The reason for this is that each pixel of CCD has a correction property unique to pixel type.